1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an ambient temperature control system for stadiums, and more specifically to a temperature control system for use in stadiums or other outdoor spaces using phase change materials and/or tempered liquid within seating structures or other areas of the structure.
2. Description of the Related Art
Monitoring and maintaining the temperature of buildings, especially large structures, is very difficult. The larger the building, the higher the thermal load that must be dealt with to heat or, more likely, to cool the building to a comfortable level. Most structures use air conditioning or some variation thereof to chill and blow air through the building to cool it. Other architectural methods for cooling, such as chilled beam systems, geothermal, night-sky cooling, ventilation passages, cooling “fins,” and thermal energy storage may be employed in some circumstances, but their results vary and their costs may not always be economical.
For exterior spaces, such as sports stadiums, such cooling systems are even less likely to be useful. Especially in structures where there is no roof, traditional air conditioning cannot adequately cool the exterior space and does not comply with typical energy codes.
Phase change materials have been used for various applications, from food storage to crop protection to interior building materials. However, its application has not been fully explored for use in exterior locations.
What is needed is an economical and simple way to equalize temperatures for large exterior spaces, such as sports stadiums without using expensive and ineffective traditional cooling techniques.
Heretofore there has not been available a temperature control system for use in stadiums with the advantages and features of the present invention.